[Help-gsl] GPL violation?

From:

Johannes Buchner

Subject:

[Help-gsl] GPL violation?

Date:

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 23:27:16 +1300

Hi!
I found a software package that uses the GSL, but is not licensed under
a OSS license.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but users of the GSL have to license
any code that uses the GSL -- links against it -- as GPL, right?
It is also my understanding that the GSL does not necessarily have to be
distributed itself.
Most of that packages code is Fortran, but one standalone C file/tool
uses GSL functions. There is no license statement. It is distributed as
source code, without containing a version of the GSL.
I contacted the author, but dispite citing the GSL website:
> If I wanted to distribute an application which uses GSL, what license
> would I need to use? The GNU General Public License (GPL).
and http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#IfLibraryIsGPL, the author
doesn't believe the software has to be GPL, because he/she is not
distributing code written by someone else.
I'd be glad to get some help for arguing (or maybe I'm wrong).
On a somewhat related note, can users of the GSL choose to make their
code GPLv2 if it is still compatible with the 'old' GSL versions that
didn't have GPLv3?
Best regards,
Johannes
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